Rotary device to control operations in an incrementally controlled metering system

ABSTRACT

A metering device having utility for automatically dispensing a selectable number of equal portions from a web in a vending apparatus such as a stamp machine utilizing a support wheel having a plurality of equally spaced bistable members near its perimeter, the bistable members having hubs or reciprocatable members movable axially between inactive and active positions, individually selectable actuators for setting the reciprocatable members of the bistable members into their active positions and a sensor adjacent the wheel at a designated home position for detecting the advance of an active bistable member thereto. An additional actuator is provided at the home position to reset the reciprocatable member of a detected bistable member to its inactive state. The bistable members are plastic, wheel-like devices having stationary rims and snap-action hubs which may be molded as an integral part of the support wheel or inserted in apertures of the support wheel. In one embodiment of the invention, each hub contains a magnet, the actuators are solenoids, and the sensor includes a magnetic reed switch for identifying an active bistable member. The support wheel may be rotated by a stepping motor which is started by the selection of an actuator and stopped by the actuation of the reed switch sensor.

United States Patent n91 Carbine et al.

[ ROTARY DEVICE TO CONTROL OPERATIONS IN AN INCREMENTALLY CONTROLLEDMETERING SYSTEM 21 Appl. No.: 470,182

[52] U.S. Cl. 222/76; 231/4; 194/10 [51] Int. Cl 367d 5/10 [58] FieldofSearch..22l/5, 2, 4; 141/248, 258262;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,890,781 6/]959 Gore l94/l03,651,984 3/l972 Redenbach......................... 221/4 X PrimaryExaminer-Stanley H. Tollberg Assistant ExaminerNormari L. Stack, Jr.

Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Alan Petlin Klein; Leonard C. Brenner; WilliamB. Penn 5 7] ABSTRACT A metering device having utility for automaticallydispensing a selectable number of equal portions from a web in a vendingapparatus such as a stamp machine utilizing a support wheel having aplurality of equally spaced bistable members near its perimeter, thebistabie members having hubs or reciprocatable members movable axiallybetween inactive and active positions, individually selectable actuatorsfor setting the reciprocatable members of the bistable members intotheir active positions and a sensor adjacent the wheel at a designatedhome position for detecting the advance of an active bistable memberthereto. An additional actuator is provided at the home position toreset the reciprocatable member of a detected bistable member to itsinactive state. The bistable members are plastic, wheel-like deviceshaving stationary rims and snapaction hubs which may be molded as anintegral part of the support wheel or inserted in apertures of thesupport wheel. In one embodiment of the invention, each hub contains amagnet, the actuators are solenoids, and the sensor includes a magneticreed switch for identifying an active bistable member. The support wheelmay be rotated by a stepping motor which is started by the selection ofan actuator and stopped by the actuation of the reed switch sensor.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 1 ROTARY DEVICE TO CONTROL OPERATIONS IN ANINCREMENTALLY CONTROLLED METERING SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to a metering device and more particularly to amechanical rotary device having utility for employment with a vendingapparatus for controlling the incremental dispensing of stamps, tickets,and like items from a web.

The vending apparatus for which the present invention is adapted may beof the type that includes a rotatable shaft for receiving a roll ofstamps or like items to be dispensed. A second shaft operates to pullthe stamps or other items from the roll and to dispense them from theapparatus. A fixed rotational increment of the second shaft dispenses asingle stamp or item. The rotary device of the present inventioncooperates with the second shaft to meter the number of increments andthereby to count or meter the number of stamps or other items dispensed.

Prior art mechanical metering devices employed in stamp vending machinesgenerally comprise a relatively large number of intricate and expensivecomponents. For example, the metering device typically employs aplurality of spring-biased sliding metal pinmemory elements bistablytransposed between active and inactive states by solenoid means. Thus,the cost of manufacture of the prior art mechanical metering devices isadversely affected by the need for relatively long machining,fabrication, and assembly times.

It is, then, an object of the invention to provide an improvedmechanical rotary device of economical manufacture effective to controlincremental metering operations in an incrementally controlled meteringsystern.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improvedmechanical rotary device of the above character comprising a relativelysmall number of low cost parts readily fabricated in minimum machiningand assembly time.

It is still another object of the present invention to improve thedesign of a mechanical rotary device of the above character by reducingthe required number of moving parts thereby simplifying manufacture andincreasing reliability.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improvedmechanical rotary device of the above character having utility in anapparatus such as an automatic stamp vending machine for dispensing aselectable number of equal portions from a web.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The improved rotary device of the inventionachieves the above and other objects and the purposes of the inventionby utilizing a wheel supporting a plurality of equally spaced apartbistable members located near the wheel circumference, the bistablemembers being unitary, plastic, wheel-like devices having stationaryrims and snap action hubs which may be molded as an integral part of thesupport wheel or inserted in apertures m the support wheel. In oneembodiment of the invention, each hub contains a magnet, the bistablemembers are selectably actuated by solenoids and an actuated member isdetected at a home position by a reed switch.

LII

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above-mentioned and other objects,advantages and features of the present invention will become morereadily apparent from a review of the following specification when takentogether with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the preferred embodiment of thesupport wheel of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an embodiment of a bistable member adapted foruse in the support wheel of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the bistable member of FIG. 2, taken alongline 3-3 thereof;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the support wheel of the invention, takenalong line 4-4 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of an alternative embodiment of thesupport wheel of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the alternative embodiment taken alongline 6-6 of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The rotary device ofthe invention utilizes a support wheel 12 (FIG. 1) preferably mounted ona shaft 35 for rotation therewith. The support wheel 12 may be used as afeed wheel for a web, as known in the art, or may meter other feeddevices (not shown) through the drive shaft 35.

A plurality of bistable members 11 is equally spaced on the supportwheel 12 near the perimeter and on radii of the wheel. Each of thebistable members is of unitary construction and has a rim 13 (FIG. 2)and a hub or reciprocatable member 15 that can be translated axiallywith respect to the rim between two stable positions, as described indetail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,579,778 issued in the name of Peter T.DiPaolo, Jr., et al. and assigned to the assignee of the presentapplication.

The connecting support between the rim 13 and the hub 15 ofa bistablemember 11 includes a plurality of pivotally mounted spokes 17, eachhaving a length which is slightly greater than the difference betweenthe radius of rim l3 and the radius of the hub 15. During translation ofthe hub 15 from one stable position to the other, distortion occurseither in the spokes 17 or in the rim 13. Preferably, the rim 13 has athickness sufficiently small to allow distortion of the rim I3 duringtranslation of the hub from one stable position to another. In addition,rim 13 is provided with a plurality of guide members 19 which projectinwardly from rim l3 and serve to prevent skewing of hub 15 when it istranslated between its stable positions.

As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,5 79,778, the bistable members 11 can befabricated as unitary devices of plastic, such as polypropylene. Thefeatures of the bistable member 11 as adapted for use in the presentinvention are more readily shown in FIG. 3, which also illustrates asecond stable position of the hub 15 in phantom form. To provide for thetranslation of the hub 15 between its two stable states, the respectivespokes 17 are connected to the inside periphery of rim 13 at a locationwhich is intermediate the two stable locations of the connections of thespokes 17 to hub 15. The respective spokes 17 are flared inwardly ateach end 21 to provide the necessary flexibility for the pivotalmounting.

The bistable device of U.S. Pat. No. 3,579,778 has been modified forpurposes of the instant invention to include a magnet 23 within hub tofacilitate positional detection of the hub 15, i.e., for indicating inwhich of its two stable states it is residing. Of course, in otherembodiments of the present invention, optical, mechanical or othernon-magnetic positional indicating and detecting methods and apparatusmight be employed as is well-known in the position-sensing art.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rim 13 of eachbistable member 11 is disposed within a molded cavity (FIG. 4) in thesupport wheel 12 such that the axis of the hub 15 of each bistablemember 11 is parallel to the axis of the main body hub 27, mounted onshaft 35. Each cavity 29 is of sufficient circumference to permitexpansion or deformation of the rim 13 of the bistable member 11 duringthe stable state transition.

A molded circular top disc 31 is secured on the support wheel 12 toconstrain the axis movement of the rims 13 of the bistable members 11.Circular apertures placed in the support wheel 12 and top disk 31 allowthe hubs 15 of the bistable members 11 to extend through the planarsides of the support wheel 12.

Each bistable member 11 has two distinct stable positions, as shown inFIG. 4. For purposes of this invention the active" position isarbitrarily defined as that position wherein a greater portion of thehub 15 of the bistable member 11 extends outwardly from the top disc 31of the support wheel 12 for interaction with other elements of themetering device as hereinafter described. The second or converse stableposition is defined as the *inactive" position.

Positional stability of the bistable member 11 is maintained by theaction of the three toggle spokes 17 and the constraints supplied by thehub 15 and the rim 13. A force acting axially upon hub 15 is required totrans fer the bistable member 11 between its two stable states. Acomponent of the transfer force transmitted through the toggle spokes l7expands rim l3 sufficiently to allow the toggling of hub 15.

In the preferred embodiment selectively activated solenoids 33 areoperatively disposed at control positions in relation to each hub 15 ofthe bistable members 11 for translating the hub from the inactive to theactive state except at the home" control position. The solenoid 33 atthe home position is operatively located to translate the hub 15 fromthe active to the inactive position. The invention is not limited,however, to solenoid mechanisms and may be practiced with other types ofelectro-mechanical or purely mechanical pulsing apparatus capable oftransferring the bistable members 11 between their stable states.

In operation of the preferred embodiment, a selected bistable member 11is translated into its active position by its associated solenoid 33.The support wheel 12 is then rotated by a prime mover (not shown) viathe motor shaft 35 which is secured within the main body hub 27. Theprime mover may be either a continuous motion motor or a rotary steppingmotor. When the active bistable member is rotated to the designated homeposition its hub 15 is sensed by a sensor 37 which generates a signal tode-energize the prime mover rotating the support wheel 12, and ifdesired, to energize the home position solenoid to reset the sensedbistable element back into its inactive position.

The preferred embodiment utilizes as sensor 37 a magnetic sensing devicesuch as a magnetic reed switch which is activated by the magnet 23within a bistable member 11 in the active position but not activated bya bistable member 11 in the inactive position. Alternatively, theinvention may employ micro-switches to mechanically detect an activebistable member at the home position. Standard optical detector systemsem ploying photocells and like devices may also be used as the sensor37.

In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5and FIG. 6, a circular unitary molded piece 39 is employed in a rotarydevice, the molded piece 39 substituting in form and function for thesupport wheel 12 and plurality of bistable members 11 utilized in theabove-described embodiment. This substitution of one part for sevenparts results in potential savings in inventory and fabrication costs. Aplurality of equally spaced apart equivalent bistable members 43 havinga plurality of spoke members 45 located near the circumference of moldedpiece 39 is formed as an integral part thereof.

Expansion cavities 41 are provided around each of the bistable members43 to provide for the increased diameter of each member 43 createdduring the transition from one stable state to another. A molded circu'lar top disc 31 having a plurality of circular apertures is secured onthe molded piece of 39 to guide the axial movement of the bistablemembers 43. In operation. the alternate embodiment functions as thepreferred embodiment. The chief advantages of the alternative embodimentlies in its lower material inventory, assembly, and production costs.

In the alternate embodiment, a molding undercut portion exists in thearea directly between the spokes 45 and the unitary molded piece 39(FIG. 6). During the molding process a removable die member may beinserted into this area to block the undesirable infusion of plasticthereto. Other suitable methods for undercutting are suggested anddisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,301 and generally in a host of otherpatents collected in the U.S. Patent Office in Class 18, Digest 5 8.

Obviously, undercutting may be avoided altogether by simply providingenlarged circular exit holes 47 in the unitary molded piece 39.Likewise, undercutting may also be avoided by enlarging exit holes 47only in those portions directly under the spokes 17 of the equivalentbistable members 43. In the partial holeenlarging embodiment, the exithole 47 for the most part tightly surrounds hub 15 of the equivalentbistable member 43 thereby providing guidance for the hub 15 duringtranslation of the equivalent bistable member 43 from one stable stateto the other.

In one application, the present invention is used in conjunction with astamp, ticket or other like item dispensing apparatus. The support wheel12 of the rotary device is mounted on one of the output shafts of adouble shafted drive motor while the remaining shaft is used to drive anitem-dispensing drum. Each item dispensed requires a rotation of thecounter and dispensing drum. One of the five activating solenoids isactuated, usually by the value of coins or tokens fed into the apparatusto place a selected bistable member 11 in its active position. Thesubsequent action of itemdispensing advances the active bistable member11 towards the designated home position. When the hub 15 of the activebistable member 11 reaches the home pcsition it is detected by sensor 37which generates a signal to halt the dispensing operation and to resetthe active bistable member via the home-based de-activating solenoid.Thus, the mechanical metering capability of the present invention can beused for counting and for controlling the number of items beingdispensed.

While the present invention has been particularly described foremployment in an apparatus for dispensing stamps, tickets, and otherlike items, it will be appreciated that the present invention isadaptable for use in any conveyor system, for example, that requires acounting or control of the number increments rotated by a rotatingelement. Also, it is obvious that the support wheel l2 and the unitarymolded piece 39 of the present invention need not be perfectly round asshown but may be fashioned otherwise to meet particular applicationrequirements. It will be further appreciated that while only specificembodiments of the present invention and methods of practicing thepresent invention have been described and illustrated, changes andmodifications therein will be apparent to one skilled in the art whichchanges and modifications will nevertheless be within the spirit andscope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In an incrementally controlled metering system, a rotary deviceeffective to control incremental metering operations, said rotary devicecomprising:

a rotatable support wheel;

a plurality of molded unitary bistable means equally spaced within saidsupport wheel near the circumfe rence thereof, each of said bistablemeans including a member reciprocatably movable axially to one positionin an active state from a normal second position in an inactive state toinitiate rotation of said rotatable support wheel and further includingpivotable means connected to said reciprocatable member and said supportwheel for maintaining said reciprocatable member in either its activestate or its inactive state;

a plurality of stationary control means located at spaced positionscontiguous to said support wheel adjacent to the circumference thereoffor cooperation with said reciprocatable members, said plurality ofcontrol means being equal in number to said plurality of bistable means,said control means at all but one of said positions adapted to set aselectable reciprocatable member of one of said plurality of bistablemeans into its active state, said control means at said position notoccupied by said setting control means adapted to reset said selectablereciprocatable member of one of said plurality of bistable means in itsactive state into its inactive state when said reciprocatable member inits active state is positioned in juxtaposition therewith; and

means at said position not occupied by said setting control means fordetecting the presence of said reciprocatable member in its active stateto cause cessation of rotation of said rotatable support wheel.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein each of saidreciprocatable members of said plurality of histable means also includesa magnet and said means for detecting the presence of saidreciprocatable member in its active state includes a magnetic fielddetecting device.

3. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein said magnetic fielddetecting device is a magnetic reed relay and each of said plurality ofcontrol means includes a solenoid.

4. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said bistable meansfurther includes a rim secured in said rotatable support wheel; saidreciprocatable member is a hub aligned perpendicular to the plane ofsaid support wheel; and said pivotable maintaining means is connected tosaid rim and to said hub for translating said hub between one and theother of two stable positions symmetrically arranged about said rim inan axial direction.

5. The combination recited in claim 4 wherein each of said plurality ofbistable means also includes a magnet secured within the hub thereof;each of said plural ity of control means includes a solenoid; and saidmeans for detecting the presence of said reciprocatable member in itsactive state includes a magnetic field detecting device.

6. In an incrementally controlled metering system, a rotary deviceeffective to control incremental metering operations, said rotary devicecomprising:

a rotatable unitary molded wheel including a plural ity of bistablemeans equally spaced within said wheel near the circumference thereof,each of said bistable means (having) including a member reciprocatablymovable axially to one position in an active state from a normal secondposition in an inactive state to initiate rotation of said rotatablesupport wheel and further including pivotable means connected to saidreciprocatable member and said support wheel for maintaining saidreciprocatable member in either its active state or its inactive state;

a plurality of stationary control means located at spaced positionscontiguous to said rotatable wheel adjacent to the circumference thereoffor cooperation with said reciprocatable members, said plurality ofcontrol means being equal in number to said plurality of bistable means,said control means at all but one of said positions adapted to set aselectable reciprocatable member of one of said plurality of bistablemeans into its active state, said control means at said position notoccupied by said setting control means adapted to reset said selectablereciprocatable member of one of said plurality of bistable means in itsactive state into its inactive state when said reciprocatable member inits active state is positioned in juxtaposition therewith; and

means at said position not occupied by said setting control means fordetecting the presence of said reciprocatable member in its active stateto cause cessation of rotation of said rotatable support wheel.

* l I l

1. In an incrementally controlled metering system, a rotary deviceeffective to control incremental metering operations, said rotary devicecomprising: a rotatable support wheel; a plurality of molded unitarybistable means equally spaced within said support wheel near thecircumference thereof, each of said bistable means including a memberreciprocatably movable axially to one position in an active state from anormal second position in an inactive state to initiate rotation of saidrotatable support wheel and further including pivotable means connectedto said reciprocatable member and said support wheel for maintainingsaid reciprocatable member in either its active state or its inactivestate; a plurality of stationary control means located at spacedpositions contiguous to said support wheel adjacent to the circumferencethereof for cooperation with said reciprocatable members, said pluralityof control means being equal in number to said plurality of bistablemeans, said control means at all but one of said positions adapted toset a selectable reciprocatable member of one of said plurality ofbistable means into its active state, said control means at saidposition not occupied by said setting control means adapted to resetsaid selectable reciprocatable member of one of said plurality ofbistable means in its active state into its inactive state when saidreciprocatable member in its active state is positioned in juxtapositiontherewith; and means at said position not occupied by said settingcontrol means for detecting the presence of said reciprocatable memberin its active state to cause cessation of rotation of said rotatablesupport wheel.
 2. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein each ofsaid reciprocatable members of said plurality of bistable means alsoincludes a magnet and said means for detecting the presence of saidreciprocatable member in its active state includes a magnetic fielddetecting device.
 3. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein saidmagnetic field detecting device is a magnetic reed relay and each ofsaid plurality of control means includes a solenoid.
 4. The combinationrecited in claim 1 wherein said bistable means further includes a rimsecured in said rotatable support wheel; said reciprocatable member is ahub aligned perpendicular to the plane of said support wheel; and saidpivotable maintaining means is connected to said rim and to said hub fortranslating said hub between one and the other of two stable positionssymmetrically arranged about said rim in an axial direction.
 5. Thecombination recited in claim 4 wherein each of said plurality ofbistable means also includes a magnet secured within the hub thereof;each of said plurality of control means includes a solenoid; and saidmeans for detecting the presence of said reciprocatable member in itsactive state includes a magnetic field detecting device.
 6. In anincrementally controlled metering system, a rotary device effective tocontrol incremental metering operations, said rotary device comprising:a rotatable unitary molded wheel including a plurality of bistable meansequally spaced within said wheel near the circumference thereof, each ofsaid bistable means (having) including a member reciprocatably movableaxially to one position in an active state from a normal second positionin an inactive state to initiate rotation of said rotatable supportwheel and further including pivotable means connected to saidreciprocatable member and said support wheel for maintaining saidreciprocatable membEr in either its active state or its inactive state;a plurality of stationary control means located at spaced positionscontiguous to said rotatable wheel adjacent to the circumference thereoffor cooperation with said reciprocatable members, said plurality ofcontrol means being equal in number to said plurality of bistable means,said control means at all but one of said positions adapted to set aselectable reciprocatable member of one of said plurality of bistablemeans into its active state, said control means at said position notoccupied by said setting control means adapted to reset said selectablereciprocatable member of one of said plurality of bistable means in itsactive state into its inactive state when said reciprocatable member inits active state is positioned in juxtaposition therewith; and means atsaid position not occupied by said setting control means for detectingthe presence of said reciprocatable member in its active state to causecessation of rotation of said rotatable support wheel.